STARKVILLE — Officials at Mississippi State are moving forward with plans to create a new collaborative research center after competing successfully through two rounds of review by the National Science Foundation. A planning grant for the initiative was awarded late last month. The NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) for Advanced Composites in Transportation Vehicles […] [...]

GULFPORT — A legislative committee will release a report this week on its analysis of spending at the State Port at Gulfport. Max Arinder, director of the Performance Evaulation and Expenditure Review Committee, told The Sun Herald that the report should be available to the public Friday. Gov. Phil Bryant, the Mississippi Development Authority and […] [...]

BILOXI — The head of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources said today that the agency is “susceptible to fraud, waste and abuse” and must change its own work environment. Jamie Miller’s comments came as he released results of an accounting firm’s review of the agency. It was conducted during Miller’s first 60 days as […] [...]

BILOXI — The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has an agreement with a firm to conduct a 60-day review of the troubled agency’s finances, structure, staffing, work flow and government program compliance. DMR executive director Jamie Miller told the Sun Herald the agency has signed a deal with the Jackson-based accounting firm HORNE LLP. HORNE’s […] [...]

JACKSON — Questions have arisen over the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ management of selected wild game in Mississippi (i.e., the waterfowl, turkey and deer management programs), according to the PEER Committee. Also, some citizens have questioned the expanded use of privately owned pens for deer management and whether the use of such […] [...]

D’IBERVILLE — The $3 million BP grant awarded to D’Iberville for Ocean Expo aquarium is still under review, giving the city an additional 90 days to repay $1.4 million in disputed expenses. The Sun Herald reports the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has extended the stop-work order while the agency continues to review documents. The […] [...]

JACKSON — In response to a legislative request, the PEER Committee has conducted a review of the revenues, distributions and expenditures of the Mississippi Trauma Care Systems Fund. The Legislature created the state’s trauma care system to “reduce the death and disability resulting from traumatic injury.” Participants in the state’s trauma care system are the […] [...]

GULFPORT — A review ordered by Gov. Phil Bryant finds a number of problems with expansion plans at the Port of Gulfport. One is that the state port doesn’t have long-term leases with four current tenants that will operate on the expanded West Pier, The Sun-Herald reported. The consulting firm R.J. Johns & Associates also […] [...]

SOUTHAVEN — The Mississippi auditor’s office warned Southaven aldermen in a March 16 letter that they were running the risk of being held liable for charges made by Mayor Greg Davis if they did not immediately review the items in question. The Commercial Appeal reports Special Asst. Atty. Gen. Melissa C. Patterson chastised board members […] [...]

SOUTHAVEN — A Southaven alderman says he and fellow aldermen spent nearly six hours in a closed-door session Tuesday reviewing thousands of dollars in charges to Mayor Greg Davis’ since-canceled city credit card. Alderman Ronnie Hale said the state auditor’s office, which has already ordered Davis to repay more than $170,000 in personal charges, requested […] [...]